This invention relates to the field of image processing technology for typical use with digital photoprinters that read film images photoelectrically to produce prints (photographs) reproducing the images.
Heretofore, the images recorded on photographic films such as negatives and reversals (which are hereunder referred to simply as xe2x80x9cfilmsxe2x80x9d) have been commonly printed on light-sensitive materials (photographic paper) by means of direct (analog) exposure in which the film image is projected onto the light-sensitive material to achieve its areal exposure.
A new technology has recently been introduced and this is a printer that relies upon digital exposure. Briefly, the image recorded on a film is read photoelectrically, converted to digital signals and subjected to various image processing operations to produce image data for recording purposes; recording light that has been modulated in accordance with the image data is used to scan and expose a light-sensitive material to record a latent image, which is subsequently developed to produce a (finished) print. The printer operating on this principle has been commercialized as a digital photoprinter.
In the digital photoprinter, images can be processed as digital image data, so not only the assembling of images and the splitting of a single image into plural images but also the composition of characters can be performed by processing the image data and, as a result, prints can be outputted after various editing and/or processing operations have been performed in accordance with specific uses. Outputting images as prints (photographs) is not the sole capability of the digital photoprinter; the image data can be supplied into a computer or the like and stored in recording media such as a floppy disk; hence, the image data can be put to various non-photographic uses.
Having these features, the digital photoprinter is basically composed of the following units: a scanner (image reading apparatus) that reads the image on a film photoelectrically; an image processing apparatus that processes the captured image to produce output image data; and a printer (printer/processor) that records a latent image on a light-sensitive material by scan exposing it in accordance with the image data supplied from the image processing apparatus and which then performs development and other necessary processing on the exposed light-sensitive material to produce a (finished) print.
In the scanner, reading light issuing from a light source is allowed to be incident on a film, from which projected light bearing the image recorded on the film is produced and focused by an imaging lens to form a sharp image on an image sensor such as a CCD sensor; the image is then captured by photoelectric conversion and sent to the image processing apparatus as data for the image on the film after being optionally subjected to various image processing steps.
In the image processing apparatus, image processing conditions are set on the basis of the image data captured with the scanner and image processing as determined by the thus set conditions is performed on the captured image data and the resulting output image data for image recording (i.e., exposing conditions) are sent to the printer.
In the printer, if it is of a type that relies upon exposure by scanning with an optical beam, the latter is modulated in accordance with the image data sent from the image processing apparatus and deflected in a main scanning direction as the light-sensitive material is transported in an auxiliary scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction, whereby a latent image is formed as the result of exposure (printing) of the light-sensitive material with the image bearing optical beam. In the processor, development and other processing as determined or by the light-sensitive material are performed to produce a print (photograph) reproducing the image that was recorded on the film.
Thus, in the digital photoprinter, the image on a film is read photoelectrically to acquire digital image data (density data), which is analyzed to determine the state of the image so that image processing conditions suitable for the image are set and the film image data is processed under the thus set conditions, thereby producing exposing conditions for printing, namely, output image data. Having these features, the digital photoprinter is capable of performing effective image processing operations such as the correction of washed-out highlights or flat (dull) shadows due to the taking of pictures with back light or an electronic flash, sharpening and the correction of color or density failures and this enables the production of high-quality prints that reproduce images of the quality that has been impossible to achieve by the conventional direct exposure technique.
However, even the digital photoprinter is not without a defect. The images recorded on films represent various scenes including humans, landscapes and flowers, so the image processing conditions that are set by analyzing the image data obtained by photoelectrically reading the image are not necessarily optimal for the image.
An object, therefore, of the present invention is to provide a digital image processing method for use with digital photoprinters that is capable of setting optimal image processing conditions for various images such as the ones recorded on films and which is capable of consistent outputting of prints reproducing high-quality images in correspondence with various scenes in the images.
The stated object of the invention can be attained by an image processing method for setting image processing conditions using image data supplied from an image data supply source, induding the steps of:
acquiring scene information which is previously tagged on to the image data together with the image data; and setting the image processing conditions in accordance with the scene information.
Preferably, the scene information tagged on to the image data is a magnetic or optical record on a film.
Preferably, the scene information is automatically acquired by reading the magnetic or optical record on the film with magnetic or optical reading means, respectively.
Preferably, the scene information is at least one selected from the group consisting of a human individual, a flower, a landscape, a night view, an indoor view, a firework, a snow, a setting sun, a rising sun and a still object.
Preferably, the scene information is a standardized classification data value of the scene information which is keyed to an image content of the image data.
Preferably, the scene information is a registered classification data value of the scene information which is set and keyed to an image content of the image data.
It is preferred that the image processing method further include the steps of:
setting an image sequence in a plurality of images to be recorded on an index print in accordance with scene information; and producing the index print on which a plurality of the images are recorded in accordance with the image sequence.
The stated object can also be attained by a second aspect of the invention which relates to an image processing method for producing an index print on which a plurality of images are recorded using image data supplied from an image data supply source, including the step of:
setting an image sequence in the plurality of the images recorded on said index print in accordance with scene information which is previously tagged on to the image data of each of the plurality of the images.